The last message Jamie Collins ever sent his mother was short, almost casual in its wording, yet it carried a quiet undercurrent of unease that would haunt her forever. “Mom, I think I need to move out. My housemate is acting strange.”

That text arrived on a warm spring evening in early April 2026, just days before the 21-year-old robotics student from Swansea was found dead in the rear garden of the shared house on Cleve Road in Filton, north Bristol. Multiple stab wounds covered his body. His housemate, 23-year-old fellow UWE student Zack Coughlan, was arrested within days and charged with murder. What began as a simple warning about odd behaviour had become the final cry for help from a gentle young man whose bright future was violently cut short.

Jamie Collins was the kind of son parents dream of raising. Born and raised in Swansea, he was described by his devastated family as “bright, gentle, kind and unassuming,” a young man with his whole life stretching ahead of him. He had thrown himself into university life at the University of the West of England, studying engineering and robotics with genuine passion. Friends and lecturers remembered him as someone who lit up group projects, always ready with a quiet smile or a helpful suggestion. He was active in several student societies and had already begun planning his return home after graduation in just a few weeks. The family home in Swansea was waiting; his mother had been counting down the days until her son walked through the door with stories of his final term and dreams of the career he was building.

Moving into the shared house on Cleve Road had seemed like a sensible step for independence. Like thousands of other students, Jamie wanted the freedom of living away from campus while keeping costs down. The property was typical for north Bristol student accommodation — a modest terraced house divided among a small group of housemates. At first, everything appeared normal. Jamie settled in, balanced his studies with part-time work, and kept in regular contact with his mother back in Swansea. He spoke excitedly about his modules, the friends he was making, and the robotics projects that made his eyes light up.

But something shifted in the final weeks. The texts and calls home grew more cautious. Jamie mentioned his housemate Zack Coughlan acting strangely — small things at first, then more unsettling patterns. Late-night pacing, sudden mood swings, unexplained outbursts. Jamie tried to brush it off in conversation, but his mother could hear the tension creeping into his voice. She urged him to be careful, to lock his door at night, to reach out if things got worse. The last text was the clearest signal yet that the situation had crossed a line. “Mom, I think I need to move out.” It was the kind of message that makes a parent’s stomach drop — not dramatic, but loaded with the quiet fear only a mother can sense.

Jamie never got the chance to pack his bags. In the early hours of April 9, 2026, emergency services were called to the Cleve Road address. Officers found the 21-year-old lying in the rear garden, his body bearing multiple stab wounds. The scene was immediately treated as a major crime investigation. Avon and Somerset Police moved fast. Detectives used CCTV footage, forensic evidence, and detailed house-to-house enquiries to identify a suspect within hours. By Sunday, Zack Coughlan, Jamie’s 23-year-old housemate and fellow UWE student, was under arrest. On Tuesday he appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court, where he was charged with murder and remanded in custody. He will next appear at Bristol Crown Court on June 19, with a provisional trial date set for October 12.

The speed of the arrest brought little comfort to Jamie’s family. His mother, who had read that final text over and over, was left reeling with the knowledge that her son had sensed danger but couldn’t escape it. In a statement released through police, the family described the pain as indescribable. “Words cannot describe how we are feeling,” they said. “Jamie was looking forward to finishing his uni journey and returning home to Swansea in just a few weeks’ time. He was heading for a hugely successful future.” They thanked the outpouring of love and support from friends, university staff, and strangers who had never met Jamie but were moved by his story. “The kindness shown to us has been overwhelming,” the statement continued. “We are grateful to everyone who has reached out.”

University of the West of England staff were equally shocked. A spokesperson said the institution was “deeply shocked by the news of our student Jamie’s death in such distressing circumstances.” Jamie had been an active member of student societies, someone who contributed positively to campus life. The university immediately offered counselling and support to students and staff who knew him, while working closely with police. Neighbourhood officers stepped up high-visibility patrols around Cleve Road and the wider Filton area to reassure residents.

Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Edgeworth, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, spoke directly to the public. “Our thoughts are with Jamie’s family at this hugely difficult time,” she said. “Specially-trained officers are offering them support and keeping them regularly updated with our investigation. We would politely ask people to continue to respect their privacy.” She added that those who knew Jamie would be “understandably shocked and hugely saddened.” Police praised the public for their patience as further enquiries continued in the Cleve Road area.

Behind the official statements lay a deeper tragedy that many young students and their parents quietly fear. Moving out for the first time often means sharing space with strangers chosen more by budget than compatibility. Jamie had done everything right — he studied hard, kept his head down, and reached out when things felt off. Yet that single text message revealed how quickly a shared house can turn from a place of independence into a trap. His mother had sensed the unease in his words. She had asked questions, offered advice, even suggested he come home early if needed. But the distance between Swansea and Bristol, combined with a young man’s desire to handle things on his own, meant she could only watch from afar as events spiralled.

Zack Coughlan’s background remains largely private as the legal process unfolds. Both men were students at the same university, living under the same roof. What began as an ordinary housemate arrangement ended in unimaginable violence in the garden behind their home. The exact circumstances of the stabbing — the trigger, the sequence of events, any confrontation — are still being pieced together by investigators. Forensic teams examined the house in detail. Neighbours reported hearing disturbances, though none could have predicted the horror that followed. The garden where Jamie was found has since become a quiet memorial site, with flowers and messages left by friends and strangers alike.

Jamie’s death has sparked wider conversations about student safety, mental health support on campuses, and the hidden pressures of shared housing. Universities across the UK have reinforced advice for students who feel unsafe in their accommodation. Charities working with young adults have highlighted warning signs that Jamie’s mother instinctively recognised: changes in behaviour, vague mentions of “strange” conduct, and that final, hesitant request to move out. “Mom, I think I need to move out” was not just a casual remark — it was a red flag waved too late.

In Swansea, the family home that Jamie had been so eager to return to now stands as a place of profound grief. His mother replays their last conversations, searching for anything she might have missed. Could she have insisted he come home immediately? Should she have contacted the university or police herself? These questions will linger for years, the kind of parental guilt that no amount of sympathy can erase. Friends from his school days and university circle have described Jamie as someone who brought calm energy to any room. “He was gentle,” one close friend said. “The sort of person who would help you with your coursework at 2 a.m. without complaint.” That gentleness made the violence inflicted upon him feel even more incomprehensible.

As the legal case against Zack Coughlan moves toward trial, the focus remains on justice for Jamie. The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the murder charge, signalling they believe there is sufficient evidence to proceed. Coughlan has been remanded in custody, his own future now suspended in the same legal system that will determine accountability for Jamie’s death. The provisional October trial date gives investigators time to build a complete picture — phone records, witness statements, forensic analysis of the scene, and any digital footprint left behind.

For the student community at UWE, the tragedy has left an indelible mark. Counselling services have seen increased demand. Student unions have held vigils and awareness sessions about personal safety in shared accommodation. One student who lived nearby said the incident forced many to re-evaluate their own living situations. “You assume your housemates are just like you — studying, socialising, trying to get through uni. You don’t expect something like this.”

Jamie Collins’s story is not unique in its outline — young people moving away from home, encountering difficult housemates, and facing risks they never anticipated. But the heartbreaking specificity of that final text message elevates it. “Mom, I think I need to move out. My housemate is acting strange.” It is the kind of ordinary plea that thousands of parents receive every year. Most end with a safe resolution — a new flat, a return home, a change of locks. Jamie’s did not. His mother could sense the danger but could not reach across the miles quickly enough to pull her son to safety.

In the weeks since the stabbing, tributes have poured in from every corner. Former teachers in Swansea remembered a quiet, hardworking boy who excelled in science and maths. University lecturers spoke of his potential in robotics, a field where his gentle persistence would have made him stand out. Friends posted photos of Jamie smiling at society events, always in the background yet somehow central to the group. The outpouring has been overwhelming for the family, who have asked for privacy while they grieve.

The house on Cleve Road stands empty now, cordoned off as a crime scene for weeks before being released. Neighbours still walk past with lowered heads, the memory of blue lights and police tape fresh in their minds. Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Claire Hazelgrove raised the case in the House of Commons, telling colleagues that Jamie’s family and the local community had been “left reeling” by the fatal stabbing. Her words captured the collective shock that ripples far beyond Bristol.

Jamie Collins had his whole life ahead of him. He was weeks away from completing his degree, months away from starting the career he had worked so hard for, and a lifetime away from the man he was destined to become. Instead, his story ends in a garden behind a student house, his final text to his mother a permanent reminder of the dangers that can hide in everyday living arrangements.

His mother will carry that last message for the rest of her life. She knew something was wrong. She tried to listen, to advise, to be there. But in the end, the distance and Jamie’s own quiet independence meant she could not stop what unfolded on Cleve Road in the early hours of April 9. The pain of that realisation is shared by every parent who has ever received a worrying text from a child living away from home and wondered if they did enough.

As the court process moves forward, the focus will shift to evidence, testimony, and justice. But for Jamie’s family, no verdict can bring back the gentle, bright young man who sent one final text asking for help. His death serves as a stark warning to every student and every parent: when a housemate starts “acting strange,” the instinct to move out is not paranoia — it is survival. Jamie Collins recognised the danger. His mother heard it in his words. Tragically, the warning came too late.

The garden on Cleve Road is quiet now. Flowers have faded, messages have been taken down, but the memory of a 21-year-old student who simply wanted to finish his studies and go home remains. Jamie Collins was more than a victim in a shocking murder case. He was a son, a student, a friend, and a young man with dreams that ended far too soon — all because one housemate’s strange behaviour turned deadly in the space of a single night.